How to Delay or Avoid GM Burnout
- Thread starter Retreater
- Start date
I'm in a strange position when I'm realizing that my primary hobby for the past 20 years maybe hasn't been as enjoyable as I like to think. Of course, I can look back and enjoy a few moments and the friends I met along the way; however, it isn't comparable to the stress and frustration I've had.
When I GM I feel overworked and frustrated with my players. When I'm a player (even with other groups), I get bored easily and rarely like the GM's style. Perhaps I don't enjoy gaming as much as I thought I did.
So it's probably time to decrease its role in my life and do other things. Read books other than TTRPGs. Listen to podcasts that aren't gaming-oriented. Simplify the games that I'm in to be more of a "hobby." Back out of some of my games when they reach a natural stopping point.
In the meantime, there's hockey and baseball. There's TV series I've never watched because I've only been in an RPG mindset. Video games. Music. Acting in community theatre.
I'm more than just TTRPGs.
When I GM I feel overworked and frustrated with my players. When I'm a player (even with other groups), I get bored easily and rarely like the GM's style. Perhaps I don't enjoy gaming as much as I thought I did.
So it's probably time to decrease its role in my life and do other things. Read books other than TTRPGs. Listen to podcasts that aren't gaming-oriented. Simplify the games that I'm in to be more of a "hobby." Back out of some of my games when they reach a natural stopping point.
In the meantime, there's hockey and baseball. There's TV series I've never watched because I've only been in an RPG mindset. Video games. Music. Acting in community theatre.
I'm more than just TTRPGs.
payn
Glory to Marik
Don’t put all your pucks in one net.
Jd Smith1
Hero
Pick the right system. The last time I had GM burnout was 1981. The reason I was burning out was the tedium of AD&D (You know it as 1e) combat. The endless 'roll to hit, roll for damage' to attrit PCs down to zero hit points wiped out the love of the game.
I switched to systems where damage was vastly more unforgiving, and never looked back.
VTT really revived the hobby for me, and going online has literally tripled my enjoyment.
But the key is, IMO, make sure the system and setting is right for you as a GM.
I switched to systems where damage was vastly more unforgiving, and never looked back.
VTT really revived the hobby for me, and going online has literally tripled my enjoyment.
But the key is, IMO, make sure the system and setting is right for you as a GM.
Do try other hobbies, I think in part that the game you imagined in your head could not be reached in practise. The fact that playing is boring you and running the game frustrating, seem to me to indicate that.
Thomas Shey
Legend
Honestly, it may very well be that you simply haven't had access to a compatible group. And that may not be easily fixed, given the specifics. But I very much had two different groups I played with, and one of them, over time, became far too stressful to play with regularly (barring one player who overlapped with the other), but the other one has been, while not perfect, on the whole, fine.
Well, its not an uncommon phenomenon for primarily GMs to not find playing all that enjoyable. I'm very hit or miss about it (for the same reasons you mention) and probably am sometimes tiresome to my GMs.
Warpiglet-7
Lord of the depths
Well this is a people thing in part and an expectation thing in part…
My pals have largely the same wants in a game system. That helps. The others just want to see adventure and chaos. But I leaned a hard lesson a few years back.
I DM’d a weekend super event! We had good food…many players…I made terrain for gods’ sake! An ocean board, dungeons, forests. It was gonna be extra!
We had shirts made! We made badges! And it was good. But…
People barely paid attention to my new campaign world. “Yeah whatever”. They just wanted D&D. What’s the mission, where are we going…
The myth, the npc work etc. just did not matter all that much. They just wanted to play with friends. And that has stuck.
Players hopefully care about playing and want to spend time with us but they often forget our fiction. And you know I am usually a player and often forget the npc names and plot hooks and you get the idea.
But I am ready to ham it up a little, yell when I roll some 20s and cheer our escapes.
I think that has to be enough.
If you can’t get enthusiasm or laughter or happiness, you may be barking up the wrong tree with player composition more than anything. But we don’t cut people off like stray hairs…so all easier said than done.
Tough situation and sorry. You would be welcome to play with us if we knew ya!
My pals have largely the same wants in a game system. That helps. The others just want to see adventure and chaos. But I leaned a hard lesson a few years back.
I DM’d a weekend super event! We had good food…many players…I made terrain for gods’ sake! An ocean board, dungeons, forests. It was gonna be extra!
We had shirts made! We made badges! And it was good. But…
People barely paid attention to my new campaign world. “Yeah whatever”. They just wanted D&D. What’s the mission, where are we going…
The myth, the npc work etc. just did not matter all that much. They just wanted to play with friends. And that has stuck.
Players hopefully care about playing and want to spend time with us but they often forget our fiction. And you know I am usually a player and often forget the npc names and plot hooks and you get the idea.
But I am ready to ham it up a little, yell when I roll some 20s and cheer our escapes.
I think that has to be enough.
If you can’t get enthusiasm or laughter or happiness, you may be barking up the wrong tree with player composition more than anything. But we don’t cut people off like stray hairs…so all easier said than done.
Tough situation and sorry. You would be welcome to play with us if we knew ya!
Jd Smith1
Hero
This is wisdom. Managing expectations is the key criteria. You have to have the right players, or you are doomed.
System+setting+the right sort of players = GM entertainment.
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